After the premiere victory, di Salvo “a huge rucksack” falls off
Stand: 12:10 p.m.
Antonio di Salvo celebrates the late 3-2 winner
Source: pa / dpa / David Inderlied
After more than 90 minutes of tension and nervousness, Antonio Di Salvo is relieved. The new U21 coach rewarded himself with a cold drink after the late win in his debut against Israel. Two 19-year-old debutants received special praise.
Nafter the hard-fought premiere success as a U21 coach, Antonio Di Salvo treated himself to a “really cold beer from East Westphalia”. “A victory like this is good for you, I can say that now,” reported the German U21 national coach, who seemed relieved and relaxed after the late 3: 2 (1: 1) against Israel in his hometown of Paderborn.
“I’m overjoyed that we turned the game around and deserved to win,” said the 42-year-old after his first game as U21 head coach, which his team only turned with two goals in a dramatic final phase.
Because in front of 3262 spectators it looked long after the first defeat for the European champions in the third European Championship qualifier. Up to the 89th minute, the offspring of the German Football Association were down 2-1 against the Israelis, who were particularly strong on counterattacks and in switching games, before debutant Kevin Schade from SC Freiburg (89th minute) and captain Jonathan Burkardt (90th + 1) turned the game. “As a coach, you always believe in winning games until the end. Otherwise I would have missed the job, ”said Di Salvo. “When the 3-2 fell, it was a huge relief, a huge backpack that fell off.”
The game-winning scene: Jonathan Burkardt heads the ball from close range to 3-2
Source: pa / dpa / Revierfoto
The previous assistant coach of Stefan Kuntz, who switched to the Turkish association as national coach, had looked nervous and tense on the sidelines during his premiere. “The thoughts are always there somewhere, what can we do, what can we change, how can we turn the game,” said the former Bundesliga professional. Ultimately, Di Salvo’s changes and the requirement for his team to attack more on the wings than through the center bore fruit.
Leader of the table in Hungary
“We didn’t notice he was nervous,” said Hoffenheim’s Angelo Stiller with a grin about the premiere of his new head coach. “But we knew it was a special game for him, so we wanted to give him the win.” Di Salvo called his team together in a circle immediately after the final whistle. “I thanked you for giving me this great premiere,” said the long-time U21 assistant coach. “The game showed that the virtues that Germany stands for, those that a national team stands for, were the basis for success. That was nice to see. “
The coach had special praise for Schade and newcomer Malik Tillman, who had equalized after the first deficit (34th). The only 19-year-old Bayern professional is a “great talent, I really wanted him to be there”. Schade of the same age, one of three debutants in the starting line-up alongside Tillman and Luca Netz (18) from Gladbach, “did a great job. The force of Kevin was sensational, ”said Di Salvo about the header to make it 2-2.
With the perfect record of three wins from three games, the team is now heading to the next qualifying game in Hungary on Tuesday (5.30 p.m. / ProSieben Maxx) as leaders of the table. “For us as a team, a game like this was perhaps more important than a 4-0,” said Stiller about the boost after the dramatic final phase. And Di Salvo added: “I believe that such a victory will bond the team even further.”
.
